4776 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 18 / Monday, January 28, 2008 / Notices 

Harris, 490 F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. 

Wis. 1980). Because of these court 

rulings, it is very important that those 

interested in this proposed action 

participate by the close of the comment 

period so that comments can be made 

available to the Forest Service at a time 

when they can be meaningfully 

considered responded to in the final 

environmental impact statement. To 

assist the Forest Service in identifying 

and considering issues and concerns on 

the proposed action, comments on the 

draft environmental impact statement 

should be as specific as possible. It is 

also helpful if comments refer to 

specific pages or chapters of the draft 

statement. Comments may also address 

the adequacy of the draft environmental 

impact statement or the merits of the 

alternatives formulated and discussed in 

the statement. Reviewers may wish to 

refer to the Council on Environmental 

Quality Regulations for implementing 

the procedural provisions of the 

National Environmental Policy Act at 40 

CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points. 

Comments received in response to 

this solicitation, including names and 

addresses of those who comment, will 

be considered part of the public record 

on this Proposed Action and will be 

available for public inspection and may 

be released under FOIA. Comments 

submitted anonymously will be 

accepted and considered; however, 

those who submit anonymous 

comments will not have standing to 

appeal the subsequent decision (36 CFR 

Parts 215). 

Responsible Official: Jeni Evans, 

Seward District Ranger, Chugach 

National Forest, is the responsible 

official. 

Dated: January 17, 2008. 

Jeni Bradley Evans, 

District Ranger. 

[FR Doc. 08–347 Filed 1–25–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Superior National Forest, LaCroix 

Ranger District, MN; Border Project 

Environmental Impact Statement 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement. 

SUMMARY: The Department of 

Agriculture, Forest Service, will prepare 

an environmental impact statement 

(EIS) for the Border Project. The 

proposed activities would manage forest 

vegetation composition, structure, and 

spatial patterns. Proposed activities also 

address the transportation system 

associated with vegetation activities and 

long-term federal, non-federal, and 

public access needs. 

The Project Area encompasses about 

57,000 acres of National Forest System 

land. The Proposed Action would create 

young forest through timber harvest on 

about 8,617 acres; improve stand 

structure and within-stand diversity 

with harvests such as thinning on about 

3,730 acres; and restore stand 

conditions without harvest on about 

1,904 acres. Managing the minimum 

road system needed for long-term 

vegetation management would involve 

adding 1.6 miles of system road and 

decommissioning 9.2 miles of road. A 

range of alternatives, including a noaction alternative, will be developed to 

respond to significant issues. The 

proposed project is located on the 

LaCroix Ranger District, Cook, 

Minnesota, Superior National Forest. 

DATES: Comments concerning the scope 

of the analysis must be received by 

March 10, 2008. The draft 

environmental impact statement is 

expected in summer 2008 and the final 

environmental impact statement is 

expected in winter 2008/2009. 

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to 

Nancy S. Larson, LaCroix District 

Ranger, Border Project, 320 Hwy 53 

North, Cook, MN 55723. Send electronic 

comments to comments-easternsuperior-la-croix@fs.fed.us. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Carol Booth, Border Project Coordinator, 

320 Hwy 53 North, Cook, MN 55723; 

telephone (218) 666–0020. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purpose and Need for Action 

The primary purpose of the Border 

Project is to move the area towards the 

vegetation and landscape ecosystem 

desired conditions described in the 

Superior National Forest Land and 

Resource Management Plan (Forest 

Plan). Forest Plan direction for the 

transportation system is also part of the 

project’s purpose. 

Proposed Action 

The proposed Action would manage 

forest vegetation composition, structure, 

and spatial patterns and the 

transportation system associated with 

these activities. Proposed activities 

include: creating young forest 

approximately 8,617 acres, improving 

stand structure and within-stand 

diversity on approximately 3,730 acres, 

and restoring stand conditions through 

a variety of non-harvest activities such 

as planting, biomass removal, and 

conducting prescribed burns to reduce 

risk of wildfire on approximately 1,904 

acres. Managing the minimum road 

system needed for long-term vegetation 

management would involve adding 1.6 

miles of system road and 

decommissioning 9.2 miles of road. 

Responsible Official 

Nancy S. Larson, LaCroix District 

Ranger, 320 Hwy 53 North, Cook, MN 

55723. 

Nature of Decision To Be Made 

An environmental analysis for the 

Border Project will evaluate site-specific 

issues, consider management 

alternatives, and analyze the potential 

effects of the proposed action and 

alternatives. The scope of the project is 

limited to decisions concerning 

activities within the Border Project Area 

that meet the Purpose and Need, as well 

as desired conditions. An 

environmental impact statement will 

provide the Responsible Official, Nancy 

S. Larson, with the information needed 

to decide which actions, if any, to 

approve. 

Scoping Process 

Public participation will be an 

integral component of the analysis 

process, and will be especially 

important at several points during the 

analysis. The first is during the scoping 

process. The Forest Service is seeking 

information, comments, and assistance 

from federal agencies, State agencies, 

local agencies, individuals, and 

organizations that may be interested or 

affected by the proposed activities. The 

scoping process will include: (1) 

Identification of potential issues, (2) 

identification of issues to be analyzed in 

depth, and (3) elimination of 

insignificant issues, or those which have 

been covered by a previous 

environmental review. Based on the 

results of scoping and the resource 

capabilities within the project area, 

alternatives, including a no-action 

alternative, will be developed for the 

draft environmental impact statement. 

Permits or Licenses Required 

Easement or permission to cross nonfederal property may be needed to 

access some treatment units to 

implement Forest Service activities. 

Comment Requested 

This notice of intent initiates the 

scoping process which guides the 

development of the environmental 

impact statement. Written comments 

will be solicited through a scoping 

package that will be sent to the project 

mailing list. For the Forest Service to 

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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 18 / Monday, January 28, 2008 / Notices 4777 

best use the scoping input, comments 

must be received by March 10, 2008. 

Include name, address, and title of the 

project with your comments. 

Early Notice of Importance of Public 

Participation in Subsequent 

Environmental Review: A draft 

environmental impact statement will be 

prepared for comment. The comment 

period on the draft environmental 

impact statement will be 45 days from 

the date the Environmental Protection 

Agency publishes the notice of 

availability in the Federal Register. 

The Forest Service believes, at this 

early stage, it is important to give 

reviewers notice of several court rulings 

related to public participation in the 

environmental review process. First, 

reviewers of draft environmental impact 

statements must structure their 

participation in the environmental 

review of the proposal so that it is 

meaningful and alerts an agency to the 

reviewer’s position and contentions. 

Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power corp. v. 

NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 553 (1978). Also, 

environmental objections that could be 

raised at the draft environmental impact 

statement stage but that are not raised 

until after completion of the final 

environmental impact statement may be 

waived or dismissed by the courts. City 

of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2d 1016, 

1022 (9th Cir. 1986) and Wisconsin 

Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490 F. Supp. 

1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). Because of 

these court rulings, it is very important 

that those interested in this proposed 

action participate by the close of the 45- 

day comment period so that substantive 

comments and objections are made 

available to the Forest Service at a time 

when it can meaningfully consider them 

and respond to them in the final 

environmental impact statement. 

To assist the Forest Service in 

identifying and considering issues and 

concerns on the proposed action, 

comments on the draft environmental 

impact statement should be as specific 

as possible. It is also helpful if 

comments refer to specific pages or 

chapters of the draft statement. 

Comments may also address the 

adequacy of the draft environmental 

impact statement or the merits of the 

alternatives formulated and discussed in 

the statement. Reviewers may wish to 

refer to the Council on Environmental 

Quality Regulations for implementing 

the procedural provisions of the 

National Environmental Policy Act at 40 

CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points. 

Comments received, including the 

names and addresses of those who 

comment, will be considered part of the 

public record on this proposal and will 

be available for public inspection. 

(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; 

Forest Service Handbook 1909.15, Section 

21) 

Dated: January 18, 2008. 

Nancy S. Larson, 

LaCroix District Ranger. 

[FR Doc. 08–335 Filed 1–25–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Housing Service 

Rural Business-Cooperative Service 

Notice of Request for Revision of a 

Currently Approved Information 

Collection 

AGENCIES: Rural Housing Service and 

Rural Business-Cooperative Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Proposed collection; comments 

requested. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 

notice announces the intention of the 

above-named Agencies to request an 

extension for the currently approved 

information collection in support of the 

servicing of Community and Direct 

Business Programs Loans and Grants. 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received by March 28, 2008 to be 

assured of consideration. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Beth 

Jones, Senior Loan Specialist, 

Community Programs Direct Loans and 

Grants Processing and Servicing, RHS, 

USDA, 1400 Independence Ave., SW., 

STOP 0787, Washington, DC 20250–

0787, Telephone (202) 720–1498, Email: beth.jones@wdc.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: 7 CFR 1951–E, Servicing of 

Community and Direct Business 

Programs Loans and Grants. 

OMB Number: 0575–0066. 

Expiration Date of Approval: June 30, 

2008. 

Type of Request: Extension of a 

currently approved information 

collection. 

Abstract: The Community Facilities 

program is authorized to make loans 

and grants to public entities, nonprofit 

corporations, and Indian tribes for the 

development of essential community 

facilities primarily serving rural 

residents. The Direct Business and 

Industry program, under Rural 

Business-Cooperative Service, is 

authorized to make loans to improve, 

develop, or finance business, industry, 

and employment, and improve the 

economic and environmental climate in 

rural communities. 

The purpose of this collection is to 

establish security servicing policies, 

assist recipients in meeting the 

objectives of the loans and grants, repay 

loans on schedule, comply with 

agreements, and protect the 

Government’s financial interest. Routine 

servicing responsibilities include 

collection of payments, compliance 

reviews, security inspections, review of 

financial reports, determining 

applicant/borrower eligibility and 

project feasibility for various servicing 

actions, monitoring delinquent 

accounts, and supervision activities. 

Supervision by the Agencies include, 

but is not limited to: review of budgets, 

management reports, audits and 

financial statements; performing 

security inspections; providing, 

arranging, or recommending technical 

assistance; evaluating environmental 

impacts of proposed actions by the 

borrower; performing civil rights 

compliance reviews; and assisting in the 

development of workout agreements. 

Information will be collected by the 

field offices from applicants, borrowers, 

consultants, lenders, and attorneys. 

Failure to collect information could 

result in improper servicing of these 

loans. 

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting 

burden for this collection of information 

is estimated to average 1 hour per 

response. 

Respondents: State, local or tribal 

Governments, Not-for-profit institutions, 

businesses, and individuals. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

587. 

Estimated Number of Responses per 

Respondent: 2. 

Estimated Number of Responses: 

1,094. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 1,042. 

Copies of the information collection 

can be obtained from Cheryl Thompson, 

Regulations and Paperwork 

Management Branch, at (202) 692–0043. 

Comments: Comments are invited on: 

(a) Whether the proposed collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of the functions of the 

Agencies, including whether the 

information will have practical utility; 

(b) the accuracy of the Agencies’

estimate of the burden of the proposed 

collection of information including the 

validity of the methodology and 

assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance 

the quality, utility and clarity of the 

information to be collected; and (d) 

ways to minimize the burden of the 

collection of information on those who 

are to respond, including through the 

use of appropriate automated, 

electronic, mechanical, or other 

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